


Thanks, Brother

by LadyCynthiana



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol, M/M, Massage, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 12:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3569528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyCynthiana/pseuds/LadyCynthiana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett and Link wind down after filming the Lopez Tonight show.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanks, Brother

**Author's Note:**

> I suggest you watch this video before reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUVWLI8KBnk

Rhett and Link lounged together on one of the hotel beds after returning from filming the Lopez Tonight show. Link brought up the vlog to rewatch it one more time before posting it, and then they were going to test out that cognac to wind down and go to bed. They were both still pretty worked up from the whole experience.

Rhett leaned his chin onto Link’s shoulder to watch the video, “You know, every time you stroked that tie, I was thinking of you stroking… other things,” he whispered into Link’s ear.

"Huh?" Link asked, jumping a little, then settling back into watching the video. "What… other things?"

Rhett was silent for a moment, then started giggling, and shook one of Link’s shoulders and hopped off the bed to open the cognac. “Just kidding, brother. How much do you want?” he asked, pouring some into a hotel cup for each of them.

"Umm… let me taste just a sip first and I’ll let you know. I really don’t know how much you normally drink of that stuff."

Rhett handed Link the cup with less in it and tasted his own. “Oh, it tastes like wine! I guess it’s like brandy. Kind of dry, though.” Between the two of them, Rhett knew much more about wine and was starting to get into wine tasting as a hobby.

Link sipped at his, decided it was palatable, and filled his cup to about the amount he would drink of wine.

"Are you sure you want that much? This has a higher alcohol content than wine, you know," Rhett informed him, before pouring some more for himself as well.

"Yeah, I could use the relaxation. I’m still all nerves, man," he said, shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably and looking tense, but still with a hint of that goofy grin he’d worn on his face all evening.

Link drank his cognac while finishing up the video, and Rhett set down his cup, taking off his jacket and joining Link again on the end of the bed. “You done posting the video?” he asked.

"Yep, it’s uploading now. Jeez, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep at all tonight. I must have been tensing up my shoulders the whole time we were out there, and now they huuuurt…" he whined, continuing to shrug his shoulders in circles.

"Hey, no need to suffer, I can rub them for you… come here," Rhett smiled at Link, motioning in front of himself.

"Really? I would appreciate it… thanks, brother." Link got up and stood stiffly facing away from Rhett, between his spread legs. Rhett didn’t have to reach very far up to rest his large hands on Link’s shoulders. He pressed his thumbs into the muscles that connected to his neck, working them up lightly into the hair on the back of Link’s neck and then down again to his collar.

"Hmm, you should take your shirt off first," he said, reaching around Link’s neck and loosening the thin black tie Link had borrowed from him. Link reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt as Rhett slipped the tie up over the collar, leaving it to rest on Link’s chest. Link thought this was a little odd, but didn’t remove it himself. It wasn’t really in the way like his shirt was.

Rhett helped Link pull his shirt down over his shoulders, then started running his fingers back over the tan flesh, just gently while Link took his shirt the rest of the way off, but then with more careful movements once he was standing still again. His fingers pressed softly into the muscle above Link’s collarbones, while his thumbs made circles down the backs of his shoulder blades. He gradually moved to the center, gliding them up and down along the sides of Link’s spine.

Link sighed softly as the tension began to release, but Rhett didn’t really want to stop just yet. He was enjoying the silky feeling of Link’s skin beneath his fingers, and the alcohol was starting to cast an extra-enjoyable haze over every sensation they both were feeling.

Rhett ran his hands down Link’s shoulders several more times, until suddenly Link started to wobble a bit, catching himself with a hand on Rhett’s thigh so he didn’t tip over.

"Whoah. The alcohol just hit me. I better sit down," he told Rhett, who had grabbed him by the forearm to support him.

"Here, why don’t you lay down, in case you want to fall asleep. I can keep massaging you if you would like…" Rhett said quietly, with just a little hint of hope in his voice. He picked up his cognac and threw back the rest of it.

"Hmm, k, I guess I’ll take my jeans off then," Link said, sitting down on the bed with a little bit of a dazed look on his face. He unbuttoned them and pulled them off, at least down to his ankles, where they got stuck. "Darn skinny jeans… I’ve never had trouble with them before…" he raised his head up to look at Rhett, who took in his big blue eyes and brown brows drawn up in a sad puppy dog expression that never failed to tug at his heart strings.

"I’ve got you," Rhett said, "Just lay back and relax, I’ll take care of you." Rhett easily slid the jeans off of Link’s ankles and folded them and his shirt neatly. He knew Link would appreciate it in the morning.

Link flipped over onto his belly, revealing the copper expanse of his back, and spread his long, thin limbs out like a starfish, his mouth already lolling open.

"Are you falling asleep already? I thought you said you never would," Rhett asked.

"I’m not asleep, I’m just trying to relax," Link replied almost irritably, grabbing a pillow and squishing it up under his face. Rhett had pulled off his pants, as well, but left on his silky maroon polo shirt. He didn’t want to weird Link out, but Link seemed pretty oblivious of the change anyway, his dark lashes now covering his eyes and a faint smile on his face. He looked pretty content for someone who was generally anxious and had been on fire with nervous energy less than an hour prior. Rhett guessed the alcohol really was hitting him pretty hard. Link was such a lightweight. The thought brought a tender smile to Rhett’s face.

Rhett sat beside Link on the bed, brushing a bit of hair back from Link’s eyes and taking off his forgotten glasses. “Will more massaging help?” he asked, continuing to softly brush at Link’s hair with his fingertips, half-hoping Link wouldn’t notice or care.

"Hmmmyeah, fankyou," Link mumbled into the pillow. He was actually still quite conscious of everything Rhett was doing, and it all just seemed so nice… he figured if he ignored and went along with it that the pampering would probably continue. Everything just seemed so nice right now… The day had been perfect, the jokes had been perfect, the dancing had been stupid but perfect, the green room had been amazing, and even their hotel room was just SO nice. He felt like he was spending a day in heaven, and now there were warm angel hands caressing his body while he floated on a white cloud of hotel pillows.

Rhett straddled Link’s narrow hips, pressing his weight carefully into his arms and hands as they wandered down Link’s back to the area near the waist, which on Rhett was nearly always sore and required more pressure. He listened carefully to Link’s muffled breathing to make sure the occasional sigh that escaped was one of comfort and satisfaction. He released the pressure and began making circles with his thumbs just above the edge of Link’s pelvis. His hands were large enough to reach his fingers all the way around to the sides of Link’s waist, where he gently kneaded the muscles there.

"Mmmm, that was… you’re great, Rhett. Shahbaz." Link giggled, lifting himself up on one elbow as Rhett released him. Rhett felt a little disappointment at what seemed like a signal that he was done.

"You’re drunk, Link. Chiasquatch," he said, ruffling Link’s hair and reclining next to him on the bed. "You’re a cute drunk."

"Thanks Shahbaz… do you want anything? Like to make you feel good like I feel good ‘cause it’s because of you I feel good and… I’m not gonna fall asleep yet." Link grinned childishly up at Rhett, his head tilted, once again resembling a slightly hyper puppy dog.

"Well… I’m not sure I trust you with my back right now. But… maybe you could rub my… chest? That might be nice." Rhett wondered how accepting of this idea Link would be. It was mainly what Rhett was thinking of when Link stroked his tie over and over again in nervousness. The tie that was still dangling from Link’s neck…

Rhett reached his arms back above his head, resting them on the headboard, waiting for Link to respond. Link seemed to be taking a moment to formulate a thought into words. That cognac had hit him hard.

"Uhh… your shirt. It’s on your chest. Should it be there? If I rub it?" Link finally managed to get some words out in some order that vaguely resembled sentences. It took so long that he was already hovering over Rhett, rubbing at the silky fabric of the shirt before the question was even finished. "Yeah. Should take it off. It’s too nice if I mess it up."

Rhett just smiled adoringly as his friend stumbled over his words and giggled as Link’s hands fingered the fabric over his nipples. He sat forward and pulled the shirt off in one swift motion, tossing it onto the other bed. In an instant, Link had him pushed back against the headboard, straddling his belly and running his fingers up and down his pectoral muscles.

"Does that tickle?" Link asked as his fingers ran through the blonde curls on Rhett’s chest. "You’re not as hairy as me… that makes me more manly you know. That’s why I’m Chiasquatch and you’re just a pretty birdy."

Rhett laughed and let Link continue to pet him. “Just a pretty birdy, huh? Is that all I am to you?”

"Noooo… you know I love you more than that. Like a brother. I think. I mean you’re the one with the brother so you would know. Do you love me like you love your brother?" Link had sunken down so that his elbows were resting on the pillows supporting Rhett’s lower back, and his face had fallen against Rhett’s chest in a sort of strange embrace.

"It’s not exactly the same, no," Rhett replied. "I love you as much as a brother, though. Maybe m… well definitely at least as much as I love my brother." Rhett wanted to say so much more, but they had spent so many years playing down how much they really loved each other that it was hard to know what was crossing the line when it came to talking about how they actually felt.

"Well, I wuv you more than I wuv your brother," Link mumbled into Rhett’s chest, tickling the hair with his breath. Rhett reached down and stroked his hair gently, as Link’s breathing became slow and even. His mouth fell open, and Rhett knew he’d fallen asleep, so he reached a long arm over and flicked off the bedside light. He wrapped his arms around Link and closed his own eyes. He didn’t care if it was impossible for him to sleep in this position, because he wanted the moment to last as long as it could.

—

Rhett woke in the morning to find himself alone in the bed, sprawled out in a very comfortable position, but with lingering warmth down the length of his bare chest and thigh. He pulled off the thick comforter that Link must have pulled over him in the night, and looked around to find where he’d gone.

Link was standing at the small table in the corner that held the gift bag and bottle of cognac. He looked up at Rhett and grinned.

"What are you so happy about?" Rhett asked Link.

"Oh, I’ve just figured out what Lopez’s note to me says… it says, ‘Thanks, Brother!’" One of Link’s eyes closed in the subtlest of winks as he turned back to packing up the letters and bottle into the bag.


End file.
